Hello John,
I own a Delta DC-33 planer. I am a weekend woodworker playing only about 3 hours a weekend. During this time I only use the planer about ¼ of the time. I tuned up the planner about 2 months ago. I took my time and followed the manual for adjustments. At that point, it cut better than it’s ever cut before.
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Recently the planer started acting up like it did before I tuned it up. When feeding boards in, it starts cutting, then pauses about every 2 inches, stops. Then if I push a bit, it continues planning, and then stops after about 2 inches. I push a bit; it continues planning, etc, etc. This seems to happen more on the left side of the planner than on the right. My wood is generally 2-5” wide and I am only taking cuts of less than 1/16” on hardwoods or Doug Fir.
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To me this is probably adjustment of the “infeed roll”. When I pull off the drive case cover, the gears are working fine, the sprockets are not slipping, the chain is not slipping, etc
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If the “infeed roll” needs adjusting again
- Is this a common problem of Planners?
- Am I doing something wrong during “tune up”?
- Is it normal to fall out of adjustment so soon?
- Is it the “outfeed roll”?
- Is it the “chipbreaker”?
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Thank you for any help you can provide.
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Another quick question. Is there a suggested minimum length of board to run through my planer? I do not see those specs in my instruction manual.
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Alex
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Replies
Alex,
Before worrying about the settings on the machine start out by cleaning and waxing the table so that the boards slide easily over it. Also clean off the infeed and outfeed rollers so that they aren't slippery. The last thing to check, and probably replace, are the knives, if they are dull it is harder to feed stock through the machine. These three areas are commonly the cause of feed problems.
If the machine continues to have problems, especially on one side only, it is possible that the feed rollers, either infeed or outfeed, on the slipping side are a bit high or that the bed rollers are a bit low on the side that slips. The chip breaker on this machine is a fairly light spring loaded affair and unless it is very far out of adjustment, it isn't likely to cause enough drag to cause slipping.
On this type of machine the rollers, once set properly, should be good for years without needing checking and readjustment.
The minimum length board that will feed safely would be as long as the distance between the infeed and outfeed rollers plus another two to three inches.
Hope this helps, John White
John,
Thanks for your reply. I'm kinda anal so I want to confirm what you are saying.
I completely spaced the waxing the bed. I will do that.
When you write of cleaning the infeed and outfeed rollers, Also clean off the infeed and outfeed rollers so that they aren't slippery. are you referring to the:
upper rollers driven by the motor? If so what would they be cleaned with?
Or the rollers on the infeed and outfeed tables?
The Knives are new and were sharpened by our local shop. They were razor sharp.
Your comment: If the machine continues to have problems, especially on one side only, it is possible that the feed rollers, either infeed or outfeed, on the slipping side are a bit high. I can adjust this again, although I did it just 2 months ago.
Your comment: or that the bed rollers are a bit low on the side that slips. My model Delta does not have these bed rollers.
So I would have thought that once I made the proper adjustements, acording to the user manual, that once set properly, should be good for years without needing checking and readjustment. Maybe I didn't tighten the nuts properly or I did a bad job???
Yes your answers were very helpful! If you can just spare a comment or two on the other questions I would appreciate it.
Thank you!
Alex
Alex,When I refer to the infeed and outfeed rollers, I'm referring to the powered rollers in the head, the unpowered rollers in the table are commonly referred to as bed rollers. I never saw a version of this Delta planer that didn't have the bed rollers, but apparently they made them that way. The lack of bed rollers is part of the reason why you are having trouble, they are useful on a machine of this size that applies a lot of downward pressure on the stock. I'm sure they eliminated the rollers to save a buck, something many manufacturers do regularly, but it will make the machine harder to use.Often just scrubbing the feed rollers with a dry Scotchbrite pad is all that is needed. For a solvent use either naphtha (my favorite for all sorts of jobs) or paint thinner. Also cleaning with a water based spray cleaner, such as Simple Green, will dissolve gunk that the petroleum solvents won't remove. Be careful as you work, there's lots of sharp stuff under there. You'll have to rotate the rollers to get at their full circumference.The knives were new and sharp once, depending on what, and how much, you've been running through the machine, and how dirty the wood was, they very well may not be sharp now.Once set up properly the planer shouldn't need adjusting for years, other than blade changes. If yours isn't holding its settings something isn't right.John W.
Adjustment of the outfeed roller
I also have a DC33, Fine machine. But I've come up agaist a problem that I'm sure someone has had:
A chain drives the infeed and outfeed rollers. - The drive sprocket to the infeed roller then horizontal to the outfeed roller then back up to the drive sprocket. The infeed roller has height adjustment and spring tension adjustment, the outfeed roller only has height adjustment. The problem is the chain pulls the outfeed roller "up" causing slack in the chain the slack in the chain causes the outfeed roller to skip a link in its sprocket and that "gouge" appears - every 2".
I've done all the logical things, wax the plate, use smaller boards, take a smaller bite, etc. but what I'm trying to find is where the spring tension adjustment is for the outfeed roller. The Delta O&M manual does not mention an adjustment for the speing tension on the outfeed roller. I can lift the roller with my finger, I think it should be heavier.
There are four springs that create the roller pressure. One spring above each roller bearing. The springs are compressed by the shiny steel caps. See photos. These caps can be adjusted, or removed, with a 6mm hex wrench. The spring will not shoot out when the cap is removed. Perhaps your springs are missing, or broken. I set the spring caps flush with top of casting and got good results. The springs go into pockets in top of bearing blocks - make sure each spring is seated in pocket, not caught on edge, this will ensure uniform pressure from all springs.
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